Sunil Gavaskar shared his perspective on India’s upcoming clash with Australia in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023: The anticipation for the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup is mounting as Team India prepares for their opening match against Australia on October 8 at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. The grand event will kick off with a riveting encounter between England and New Zealand at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on October 5.
Sunil Gavaskar, the former Indian cricketer, shared his perspective on India’s upcoming clash with Australia. He conveyed that an initial match against such a formidable opponent could be beneficial. He explained to Star Sports, “It’s always an advantage to play against the good teams first.”
Sunil Gavaskar’s logic is sound. If the first match doesn’t yield a favorable outcome, there are subsequent opportunities to rectify the missteps. He also stressed the fact that it helps you strategize better for the later matches against relatively weaker teams.
“If you don’t get a good result, you have chances later. If you probably play against some weak team later, you will know what you need to do against them and with what margin you need to win,” he added. His strategy illustrates the importance of early encounters with strong teams to gauge performance and improvement areas.
Sunil Gavaskar also highlighted a memorable example from his playing days to underscore his point. He reminisced about the 1983 World Cup where India’s first match was against the defending champions, West Indies.
Sunil Gavaskar feels that India has an advantage to play against Australia first in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023
“In 1983 we played the first match against the West Indies. They were the defending champions and we defeated them. It was a two-day game because it had rained and the play resumed on the next day. There also we registered a win. The self-confidence increased because of that as till then our performance in World Cups wasn’t anything special. We hadn’t won even one match until then,” Gavaskar recalled.
Indeed, such initial victories can boost the team’s morale significantly. Looking at history, Gavaskar’s optimism isn’t unfounded. The 1983 win against West Indies not only boosted the team’s confidence but also set the stage for India’s glorious World Cup victory that year.
As India prepares for the upcoming showdown with Australia, they will undoubtedly carry Gavaskar’s insights with them. It’s a chance for them to showcase their skills, learn from the match, and fine-tune their strategy for the games ahead. This 2023 World Cup opener is sure to be a thrilling start to India’s campaign.
